Gen Z

We are the ones born between ’95 and 2000. We are the ones who were born and the internet and computers were already out there and being used massively. We were the last generation to play outside as kids for a few years. Although once we hit middle school most of us stayed inside and stayed on myspace, Facebook, and myyearbook some days. We’ve all really been connected since our first days if you think about it. But then once we hit high school something started to happen. I’m not really sure where it came from or what caused it, but large numbers of us started being diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and a number of other mental illnesses. Our predecessors think we’re fucked up, and out of control, disturbed among other things. But I don’t think that’s true at all. I think we’ve just been through challenges and obstacles that the previous generations can’t understand because many of them didn’t experience it in their time. We’re Generation Z. And we’re like nothing anyone has ever seen.

Right now a lot of our generation is either just coming out of high school or a few years into college. And for quite a few of us it’s been a long and hard road to get there. A lot of us are damaged, broken, and scarred from our teenage and childhood years. Whether it be from mental illness, bullying, our home lives with our parents and siblings. We’re the first generation to be so open and out there about our sexuality and gender. And that in itself has caused a lot of uproar and many changes in our daily lives (at least it has in the U.S I’m not too sure about other countries, seeing as how a lot of them are more accepting and open than America.) We’re becoming less afraid to talk to each other and try to relate and break down those walls that separated the previous generations and caused many conflicts. But before I go there, lets head back to the high school years. Speaking for myself, I didn’t have a lot of friends (hell I still don’t) I just had people I hung around. And my depression/anxiety really didn’t help much and I was always quiet.

Mostly I hung around people either older than me or younger than me. I hated almost everyone who was in my grade except like one person and she’s my best friend. But I saw that most of the kids I hung around that were younger than me, especially my senior year, were going through the same things I went through. Feeling lonely, and unaccepted, having some mental illness, feeling like they had nobody who could help them, who they could talk to that would understand and try to help them and not make them feel crazy. Frankly it hurt to see them like that, it reminded me too much of myself. So I decided that I’d be that person that they needed. No matter what time they needed me, no matter what they needed me for, I made sure I was there to help. And in helping them heal, I began to heal myself. And I think that is one of the bases that our generation stands on without even knowing it. We always help each other, almost all of us are extremely self-less and supportive.

So let’s fast forward to now. What’s starting to happen is really exciting me. Now we’re starting to grow, not just in age but mentally, and emotionally and personality wise. We’re finally starting to come out of those mentally ill spots. Not like it’s gone away but we’re learning to deal with it better. We’re all becoming friends with each other and learning to love ourselves! Stopped wearing only black, and started wearing bright oranges, and light blues and greens. We’re laughing and enjoying ourselves, going to concerts, talking random walks for no reason, spending nights out till like 2am actually living! And it’s just really frikkin beautiful dude. Augh it’s so gorgeous. We’re finally becoming who and want we want, and nothing is going to stop us. We still have a long way to go, and many things to deal with. But if we keep up this pace, we’re going to take the world to a place it’s never seen before.

Most of the people who been “analyzing our generation say that what sets us apart from every other previous generation is the fact that we have never been without technology. We’ve grown up with extensive easy methods of acquiring information. Namely Google. But personally I don’t think that’s what sets us apart at all. Granted that is pretty cool. But I think what sets us apart, is our mentality. The way the think about and process things, the way we make decisions and how we aren’t really afraid to fight for what we believe in. Even at such a young age. We’ve been fighting to change the way the world thinks since the day we were born, and have make incredible leaps in our efforts along the way. And we are still making leaps and bounds, and will be until we die, and then our kids will be making leaps and bounds in their own ways. And if that isn’t cool as hell, then I don’t really know what is.
I’d love to hear the things you guys have witnessed and what you think about Generation Z. Leave your stories in the comments. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up with my latest posts. Love you guys! <3